Civility

Civility is one of a cluster of societal virtues, along with traits such as:

The word civility comes from the Latin civis, meaning citizen, as opposed to barbarus, meaning foreigner.

Roman citizens were supposed to settle their differences by talking things through and going to court.

Those foreign to Rome were thought to settle their differences by shouting and fighting.

Civility as a Precondition of Civilization

Abrams argues that civility is a precondition of civilization.

Civility is what allows us to cooperate by overcoming the ordinary frictions of everyday life with other people.

On this view, civility is not just politeness. It is one of the things that makes shared life possible.

Gay argues that civility is a fantasy that requires us to “forget who we are.”

On this view, civility can become a way for bigotry to continue existing, as long as it is performed in the correct way.

In other words, civility may not remove injustice. It may simply make injustice sound polite.

Compare this debate to the debate between Erasmus and Luther.

Erasmus thought that religious differences could be settled politely, without name-calling.

Luther argued that there is no need to hold back when you know the truth.

Who is right? Do we need civility to get along, or is it acceptable to become uncivil when you know you are right?
Do you think civil discussions are more likely to lead a person to change their mind, or less likely?
Was Abrams’s reaction to the old woman really an example of civility, or was it something else?
How does civility relate to the other societal virtues mentioned? Does civility require humility, and does humility require civility? Are politeness and civility the same thing? Is modesty part of being civil?
There are cases where civility is called for and cases where it is not called for. Is this statement true? If it is true, how do we determine when civility is called for and when it is not?